Bioactive Phyto-Compounds with Antimicrobial Effects and AI: Results of a Desk Research Study

Resistance of microorganisms to antibiotics represents a formidable global challenge, manifesting in intricate public health ramifications including escalated mortality rates and augmented healthcare costs. The current efforts to manage antimicrobial resistance (AMR) are limited mainly to the standard therapeutic approaches. The aim of this study is to present and analyze the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in the search for new phyto-compounds and novel interactions with antimicrobial effects. The ambition of the current research study is to support researchers by providing summarized information and ideas for future research in the battle with AMR. Inevitably, the AI role in healthcare is growing exponentially. The reviewed AI models reveal new data on essential oils (EOs) as potential therapeutic agents. In terms of antibacterial activity, EOs show activity against MDR bacteria, reduce resistance by sensitizing bacteria to the action of antibiotics, and improve therapeutic efficiency when combined with antibiotics. AI models can also serve for the detailed study of other therapeutic applications of EOs such as respiratory diseases, immune diseases, neurodegenerative diseases, and oncological diseases. The last 5 years have seen an increasing application of AI in the search for potential plant sources to control AMR. For the time being, the application of machine-learning (ML) models is greater in the studies of EOs. Future attention of research teams may also be directed toward a more efficient search for plant antimicrobial peptides (PAMPs). Of course, investments in this direction are a necessary preface, but the excitement of new possibilities should not override the role of human intelligence in directing research processes. In this report, tradition meets innovation to address the "silent pandemic" of AMR.